MEET OUR TEAM

Rollie is a founding partner of Skenandore Wilson LLP and serves as an attorney and registered lobbyist for Tribes and Tribal enterprises in Washington, D.C.  He has over 25 years of legal experience working with Tribes as in-house counsel, an attorney within the Federal government, as Senior Counsel in Congress, and as a Partner in private practice. 

As an advocate for Tribes in D.C., Rollie obtained Congressional passage of bills that provide Tribes with critical funding, promote Indian energy development, and authorized land exchanges to consolidate Tribal lands.  He also works closely with Tribal leaders to provide testimony at Congressional hearings and to develop strategies for obtaining results in Congress and before federal agencies in D.C.  In a number of cases, Rollie worked to prevent passage of bills attacking Tribal sovereignty, jurisdiction, lands, resources, and waters.  Rollie also has extensive experience working in D.C. with regional and national Tribal organizations to promote Tribal interests.

In addition to his work in D.C., Rollie provides general and special counsel services to Tribal governments and Tribal enterprises.  He regularly advises Tribal council members and Tribal programs.  He also worked with a team of attorneys on significant ligation in support of Tribal rights including the Bears Ears National Monument and the Dakota Access Pipeline.  Rollie also worked with a team of attorneys to research and pursue two major lawsuits seeking restoration of Tribal lands, affirmation of water rights, and damages for mismanagement of those lands and waters.

Prior to entering private practice, Rollie worked for 10 years in the Federal government in Washington. D.C.  He served as Senior Counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.  As Senior Counsel, he led efforts to draft legislation, hold hearings and prepare legislation for passage by Congress.  Rollie managed the passage of five Indian water rights settlements providing about $1.1 billion in funding to tribes for water infrastructure projects.  He also managed the passage of the $3.4 billion Cobell Settlement and drafted the Indian Energy Parity Act of 2010.

Prior to working for the Senate, Rollie served as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) first Tribal Liaison supporting Tribal participation in hydroelectric licensing, gas pipeline certification, and electric market proceedings.  He also served on a detail to the Department of Energy where he led efforts to study and submit a report to Congress regarding energy rights-of-way on Indian lands. The report, “Section 1813 Indian Land Rights-of-Way Study,” confirmed the sovereign authority of Indian tribes to approve to energy rights-of-way on Tribal lands.

Rollie began his federal career in the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Solicitor where he represented Tribal interests in hydroelectric licensing proceedings before FERC and U.S. Courts of Appeals.  

Prior to serving in the Federal government, Rollie worked as in-house counsel for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin on natural and cultural resource protection issues and participated in efforts to successfully protect the Wolf River and wild rice beds from a proposed metallic sulfide mine.

When he is not on Capitol Hill, Rollie enjoys being outside and attending concerts in the D.C. area.  He lives on a small horse farm with his wife in the Virginia Country and runs with their dogs in the woods.  Rollie also enjoys competing in triathlons and is still learning how to surf.